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Moving Abroad With Your Dog

It is becoming increasingly popular for people to want to move abroad and even more popular to want to make the move with their dog. Over the past 5 years we have seen a real rise in the number of readers who have asked us for information on what to do when moving overseas with their dogs. This trend reflects global movement as more and more people seek to experience alternative lifestyles in foreign lands. The big difference now though is, particularly for British dog owners, it is more accessible than ever for dog owners to travel abroad with their pets in tow thanks to the relaxation of regulations under the Pet Travel Scheme.

The Pet Travel Scheme introduced in January 2012ensures that people who take their pets abroad can re enter the UK without having the need for quarantine. This is a great relief for people who want to move abroad for a certain time but will want to come back.

If you are looking to move abroad with your dog, please consider the area in which you would like to move. Some cultures don’t welcome dogs as well as you might think, be aware of this factor before you decide your location. Also look at the climate of your chosen location all year round, highs and lows too much sun for any animal is not the best, and of course too cold weather is not ideal either.

If it is a hot place you want to move to, ensure the property is right for your pet and if possible create a shaded dog run. Likewise is the weather is cold, ensure your dog has places to be warm at all times. Location and the convenience of having your dog abroad are vital to look at. If you need to return to the UK immediately, would this be possible with your dog, or is there a special procedure to follow in certain countries.

You should look at micro chipping your dog for security reasons and ensure you have all of your dog’s paperwork from the breeder and past vets for your new vet to have immediately on arrival. Look into all of this before you decide to move with your dog, it is better to have covered all eventualities than not to be prepared. If you are looking to move abroad with your dog, please allow yourself plenty of time to research all of the laws where you are moving to about your breed and pet ownership.

You should not leave anything to be researched after the move; this will lessen the stress for you and also your dog. You dog will need to adjust to a different area and different climate, you should do all you can to keep everything else the same.

For customers who are considering relocating please see our fantastic range of Varikennels which are the original and still the best airline approved pet carriers and also our extensive range of dog travel products.